Look for pictures that reflect how you think each character looks. These can be current or past movie stars, current or past actors and/or actresses, or pictures you draw that reflect the images of the characters.
Create a collage with these pictures, putting the character's name under his or her picture. You may decide what materials to use for your collage. THE COLLAGE MAY NOT BE BIGGER THAN A 12 X 18 SHEET OF PAPER. These will NOT be posted on the WIKI.
Be creative! Have fun with this assignment. It will be interesting to see how everyone pictures each character.
Due date: Wednesday, November 17.
ASSIGNMENT #6!!!
FINISH THE PLOT LINE - ADD TWO OR THREE EVENTS FOR THE MANUSCRIPT AND THE EPILOGUE!
IDENTIFY THE EVENT THAT YOU THINK IS THE CLIMAX!
DUE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15.
Epilogue
(1) Many investigators are discussing the event on Indian island, and figure out that the murderer had to be one of the guests.
(2) The investigators find journals of a few of the guests, and that helps them eliminate some suspects.
(3) They limit their suspects down to Vera Claythorne, Mr. Lombard, and Mr. Blore, but the real murderer is really none of these! Manuscript
(1) Mr. Justice Wargrave was the very slick murderer! (I thought this was the climax because it finally gives us the answer to who the murderer was!)
(2) The letter in which Wargrave writes portrays him as a man who grew up loving the thought of death and murder.
(3) Mr. Justice Wargrave decided to commit these murders because "it was his ambition to start a murder mystery in which no one could ever solve!" (pg. 273)
(4) The reason he chose Indian Island for his murdering was because he had seen the Ten Little Indians poem as a child, and thought of it as a great murder plot, and decided to go by the poem.
Good guess on the climax, Jane. Giving the reader all the answers and allowing all the loose ends to be tied up would be the resolution. When is there a definite turn of events in the story which catches everyone off guard? Initially who do all the characters trust and consider their leader? Once this person is gone, everything shifts. People are more suspicious of each other, partnerships are vulnerable, and there is little civilized behavior. Now any guesses on the climax??
Mrs. M
November 2, 2010
Assignment #4-Due Wednesday, November 3
Individual Assignment #4: Chapters 1-6 Due Wednesday, November 3
Put a new line between assignments #3 and #4.
Put your answer ABOVE the previous assignment.
Copy this assignment to your page.
Add the date above this assignment.
Start a plot line. Identify the setting first.
Add two or three key events from each chapter that we have read - chapters 1-6 – reflecting on the rising action.
Identify each chapter and put the two or three events as complete sentences under the chapter number.
For example:
Setting Time and Place Chapter 1 · The characters arrive at Sticklehaven off the coast of Devon, intent on traveling to Indian Island, which has been in the news lately because it is surrounded by mystery. · The main characters wonder about the people they meet, and are excited at the chance to spend a week at this luxurious island.
Chapter 2
Two or three bulleted sentences explaining your events.
Setting
The setting of the story takes place in the early 1930's on Indian Island, off the coast of Devon. This island is very far out, and has to be reached by a motor boat every morning.The island was said to be a beautiful, and mysterious island owned by some millionaire. When the guests arrive, they realize that this island is not how they expected. It is very queer and suspicious feeling.
Rising Action Chapter One
(1) The characters are traveling to Indian Island, assuming they are going to an extravagant and mysterious place.
(2) Each character is traveling to this mysterious island because he or she was individually invited, but they don't know that they were invited by completely different people. Chapter Two
(1) On the guests' first night there, Vera and many of the others find mysterious nursery rhymes about Indian Island above their mantle pieces in there rooms.
(2) Fred Narracott takes the guests over to Indian Island on a motor boat. Chapter 3
(1) The guests head down to dinner, and after they have eaten, they hear recording on a gramophone accusing each person in the room of murder.
(2) All of the guests figure out that each of their letters was signed with the initials U.N. Owen, which seemed to spell out "unknown". Chapter 4
(1) Each guest goes over his case of murder with Mr. Justice Wargrave, whether the case be purposely or intentional.
(2) Anthony Marston, an alcoholic, "chokes" on one of his many drinks and falls over, and dies an odd death. Chapter 5
(1) After Anthony Marston's death when Mr. Rogers is clearing the table, he notices that that there only stood nine Indian figures, when he sworn there were ten before.
(2) The night of Anthony Marston's death, each guest lays awake thinking about there cases of murder. Chapter 6
(1) Mr. Rogers awakes one morning and finds that his wife, Mrs. Rogers, has died in her sleep.
(2) Once again, after the death of his wife, Rogers clears the table, and doesn't help but to notice that there are only eight figures left on the table this time!
Jane- This assignment shows thoughtful and thorough answers. You've hit the major events in each chapter, showing clear understanding of the story line. Good job! Mrs. M
Assignment #5
Chapter 7
(1) Emily Brent and Vera Claythorne think that Rogers was the one that killed his own wife.
(2) Mr. Lombard and Dr. Armstrong find that the two deaths they have had through the one night they've stayed there, correspond with the Indian poem in each of there rooms.
(3) The motor boat does not show up this first morning, which they figured had to be part of "Mr. U.N. Owen's" plan. Chapter 8
(1) Blore questions Mr. Lombard about why he has a gun with him.
(2) Mr. Blore, Dr. Armstrong, and Philip Lombard go out searching about the island to find the possible murderer. Chapter 9
(1) Mr. Blore accuses Dr. Armstrong of being the murderer because since he was a doctor, he could have easily given overdoses of medicine to Mrs. Rogers, or Anthony Marston.
(2) Dr. Armstrong returns from fetching General McCarther or lunch, and says he's found him dead on the mountain.
(3) Once again, the guests find but another china figure missing from the table...this left only seven figures left!
(4) After discussing the previous deaths, the judge concludes that there is certainly no one on the island besides them, so the murderer has to be one of them. Chapter 10
(1) Emily Brent writes that Beatrice Taylor is the murderer in her diary that night.
(2) After everyone is settled in bed with the doors locked, Mr. Rogers locks the dining room, and pockets the key so that no more Indians could escape, or be easily taken. Chapter 11
(1) On the second morning, the remaining guests wake up and wonder where Rogers is, and they find him in the shed with an ax in his hand, dead.
(2) Since all of the deaths have oddly corresponded with the poem, and the next line talks about bees, Vera asks hysterically if there are any bees on the island. Chapter 12
(1) Emily Brent, while making breakfast, dies from a "bee sting".
(2) After Emily Brent's death, Mr. Lombard's revolver and Dr. Armstrong's hypodermic syringe went missing. Chapter 13
(1) When Vera goes to her room to bathe, she walks through the door and feels wet, clammy seaweed, and screams.
(2) Mr. Justice Wargrave is now seen to be dead, dressed as a judge with Lombard's missing revolver pointing at his head. Chapter 14
(1) Armstrong goes missing in the middle of the night, and Lombard and Blore go searching for him.
(2) No one can find Armstrong, not even his body, but they do have two clues to come off of: a window pane is smashed in the kitchen, and another Indian figure is missing! Chapter 15
(1) The remaining guests use the context of the poem to realize that it is very possible that Armstrong is not dead, and that he is lurking around the island.
(2) Blore, who entered the house alone, is found dead on the terrace, and his head is crushed from a marble block.
(3) Vera and Lombard find Dr. Armstrong floating dead on rocks, leaving them to the conclusion that he is not the killer, and that one of them is! Chapter 16
(1) After Armstrong was found dead, and they know that they are the only two left, Vera shoots Lombard because she thinks he is the murderer.
(2) Now that Vera is relieved and not scared of the house, she goes inside the house expecting Hugo waiting for her, but instead she finds a hanging scene, and realizes that this must be what Hugo wanted...her death, so Vera hangs herself. Excellent story summaries, Jane. You were quite thorough in your answers! Mrs. M
October 2, 2010
Assignment #3-Due Wednesday, October 27th
Add the date at the top of your page.
Add your answers to the TOP of your page under the date.
Choose five characters from the story,
Write two sentences telling what you know about him or her.
BOLD the character's name and write your sentences about that character right underneath his or her name.
Example: · Very Claythorne Sentence #1 about Vera Claythorne Sentence #2 about Vera Claythorne Vera Claythorne: Sentence #1
Vera Claythorne killed Cyril Hamilton, because when Cyril was drowning, she deliberately swam slowly until she died, and "couldn't save her on time." Cyril is a boy! Sentence #2
Vera Claythorne has had flashbacks of the drowning incident, and seems very guilty.
Mr. Blore: Sentence #1
Mr. Blore seems to be the only guest who has been on the island before, and now he knows things, that seem like secrets hidden from the others. Sentence #2
Mr. Blore uses a fake name, which may have had something to do with his case of murder.
Mrs. Rogers: Sentence #1
When Mrs. Rogers is first introduced to the guests, and walks Vera Claythorne up to her room, she is seen as a pale, ghostly figure who is very queer. Sentence #2
Mrs. Rogers is held responsible for the death of Jennifer Brady.
Emily Brent: Sentence #1
Emily Brent was responsible for the death of Beatrice Taylor.
Sentence #2
Emily is also very critical because she wants everybody to live up to her own standards of life.
Mr. Rogers: Sentence#1
Mr. Rogers was responsible for the death of Jennifer Brady. Sentence#2
Mr. Rogers is a cook for the guests, and was also the person who set off the record on the gramophone, which were orders from Mr. Owen. Looks like your group worked well. Mrs. M
October 21, 2010
Assignment #2
Assignment #2 Due October 22
Put a line above Assignment #1; assignment #2 will go above assignment #1.
Read chapter two.
Choose one of the following: suspense or foreshadowing.
With your small group, find four examples of suspense OR foreshadowing in chapter two.
Each member of your group must write on his or her WIKI page the exact wording from the book - that means type the sentences exactly as they are written.
Then, in a well-written paragraph, explain why these sentences clearly show either suspense or foreshadowing.
Read chapter three for Monday, October 25.
SUSPENSE
(Page 31) "Poem on the Wall" "The Indian Poem"
The first example of suspense is when Vera Claythorne finds and reads the poem about the deaths of the Indians on Indian Island. Considering that the title of the book is And Then There Were None, we can infer that by the end of the book, something dreadful will happen "and then there will be none". This keeps you suspended for a while because it wants you to keep reading, so you can find out what happens to all of the guests.
(Page 29) "Rogers" "She looks frightened of her own shadow. Yes, that was it-----frightened! She looked like a women who walked in mortal fear..."
A second suspenseful moment occured when Vera was brought to her room by a women with a ghostly figure. Vera had noticed her pale bloodless skin and strange light eyes that scanned the room. This offers a suspenseful feeling because it makes you shiver and feel that Mrs. Rogers is guilty of something and has to do with all of the queer feelings of the house.
(Page 32) "Drowning Experience" "The sea...So peaceful to-day--sometimes cruel...The sea that dragged you down into its depths. Drowned...Found drowned...Drowned at sea...Drowned-drowned-drowned"...No, she would not remember...She would not think of it! All that was over..." I find this passage somewhat suspenseful because it is almost like she is having a flashback or some kind of a memory. This could also be an example of for-shadowing because this could be part of an even that may happen later in the book. But then again, when she has the flashback she stops herself, so this could also show that she has had a bad past. I found this very suspicious, and that is why I felt very suspenseful at the moment.
(Page 28) The Owens' Absence "Mr Owen--unfortunately delayed--unable to get hear till tomorrow. Instructions--everything they wanted--if they would like to go to their rooms?...dinner would be at 8 o'clock..." The fourth, and last example of suspense was when the butler was mumbling these words to all of the guests. There were two things that I found suspicious about it. The first being that the butler was mumbling, showing that he did not know exactly what his instructions were, that it could have been a sign of insecurity, and that he was careless. The second thing odd about what he said was that he was saying how the Owens were delayed and that they weren't coming until the next day. This would leave the guests alone in the big house with two odd queer servants. I think that it is also odd how they are not showing up when their guests arrive. This was full of suspense because it made me wonder why everything about the house, the people, and the strange environment of the island was so disturbing to the guests. When I first read these words, I was thinking to myself how uncomfortable I would have felt if I were one of the guests who arrived with no host or hostess, in a very large empty house, with two very odd people of whom they had no identity of except their names.
That would be very uncomfortable; I wouldn't like it either, since I wouldn't know any of the other guests. It takes a while to get to know strangers - and adding the big foreboding mansion makes it even creepier. Good insights! Mrs. M
Assignment #1
October 19, 2010
How does a mystery novel differ from a narrative?
There are many differences between novels and narratives. I find that the main difference is that in a novel, the whole story is laid out for you, while in a mystery, the whole story line is not given to you right away. Rather, you have to take guesses and follow the clues in the context. Another difference, is that with a novel, it is very easy for the reader to find and lay out the rising action, climax, and resolution because the text is very straightforward. On the other hand, in a mystery, it is very difficult to plot the story with all of the events, because none of the answers are given directly. While in both novels and mystery books, critical thinking is necessary, the answers might only be revealed in a novel rather than in a mystery, where the reader may have to just figure it out himself/herself. In my opinion, I find mystery books more interesting than novels because I enjoy all of the suspense, and I love using my brain to figure things out! Great! You will enjoy reading this!
How might the title be a clue to the story?
I think that the title of the book could be a clue to the story in many ways. When I first heard the title, my thoughts immediately drifted to the thought of murder. The title is very mysterious, and makes you want to keep the book in your hands! The first way you could enterpret the title is that it's talking about nothing being left, and at the start of the book it talkes about there being ten people traveling to an island. You could infer that by the end of the book, there would be none of them left. Another way in which you could enterpret this title is that they could also be talking about some sort of treasure, considering they were going to an island. My third, and last thought, was that the author could have been also trying to trick the reader into thinking that there were going to be many deaths, just so that the reader would keep reading, only to find a completly different ending. I think that the title is very clever, and if I had never heard of the book before, and had seen it, I probably would have wanted to read it just by seeing the title! Agatha Christie is heralded as one of the best modern day mystery writers, so you may enjoy reading some of her other novels. Mrs. M
ASSIGNMENT #6!!!
Epilogue
(1) Many investigators are discussing the event on Indian island, and figure out that the murderer had to be one of the guests.
(2) The investigators find journals of a few of the guests, and that helps them eliminate some suspects.
(3) They limit their suspects down to Vera Claythorne, Mr. Lombard, and Mr. Blore, but the real murderer is really none of these!
Manuscript
(1) Mr. Justice Wargrave was the very slick murderer! (I thought this was the climax because it finally gives us the answer to who the murderer was!)
(2) The letter in which Wargrave writes portrays him as a man who grew up loving the thought of death and murder.
(3) Mr. Justice Wargrave decided to commit these murders because "it was his ambition to start a murder mystery in which no one could ever solve!" (pg. 273)
(4) The reason he chose Indian Island for his murdering was because he had seen the Ten Little Indians poem as a child, and thought of it as a great murder plot, and decided to go by the poem.
Good guess on the climax, Jane. Giving the reader all the answers and allowing all the loose ends to be tied up would be the resolution. When is there a definite turn of events in the story which catches everyone off guard? Initially who do all the characters trust and consider their leader? Once this person is gone, everything shifts. People are more suspicious of each other, partnerships are vulnerable, and there is little civilized behavior. Now any guesses on the climax??
Mrs. M
November 2, 2010
Assignment #4-Due Wednesday, November 3
Individual Assignment #4: Chapters 1-6 Due Wednesday, November 3
- Put a new line between assignments #3 and #4.
- Put your answer ABOVE the previous assignment.
- Copy this assignment to your page.
- Add the date above this assignment.
- Start a plot line. Identify the setting first.
- Add two or three key events from each chapter that we have read - chapters 1-6 – reflecting on the rising action.
- Identify each chapter and put the two or three events as complete sentences under the chapter number.
- For example:
SettingTime and Place
Chapter 1
· The characters arrive at Sticklehaven off the coast of Devon, intent on traveling to Indian Island, which has been in the news lately because it is surrounded by mystery.
· The main characters wonder about the people they meet, and are excited at the chance to spend a week at this luxurious island.
Chapter 2
Two or three bulleted sentences explaining your events.
Setting
The setting of the story takes place in the early 1930's on Indian Island, off the coast of Devon. This island is very far out, and has to be reached by a motor boat every morning.The island was said to be a beautiful, and mysterious island owned by some millionaire. When the guests arrive, they realize that this island is not how they expected. It is very queer and suspicious feeling.
Rising Action
Chapter One
(1) The characters are traveling to Indian Island, assuming they are going to an extravagant and mysterious place.
(2) Each character is traveling to this mysterious island because he or she was individually invited, but they don't know that they were invited by completely different people.
Chapter Two
(1) On the guests' first night there, Vera and many of the others find mysterious nursery rhymes about Indian Island above their mantle pieces in there rooms.
(2) Fred Narracott takes the guests over to Indian Island on a motor boat.
Chapter 3
(1) The guests head down to dinner, and after they have eaten, they hear recording on a gramophone accusing each person in the room of murder.
(2) All of the guests figure out that each of their letters was signed with the initials U.N. Owen, which seemed to spell out "unknown".
Chapter 4
(1) Each guest goes over his case of murder with Mr. Justice Wargrave, whether the case be purposely or intentional.
(2) Anthony Marston, an alcoholic, "chokes" on one of his many drinks and falls over, and dies an odd death.
Chapter 5
(1) After Anthony Marston's death when Mr. Rogers is clearing the table, he notices that that there only stood nine Indian figures, when he sworn there were ten before.
(2) The night of Anthony Marston's death, each guest lays awake thinking about there cases of murder.
Chapter 6
(1) Mr. Rogers awakes one morning and finds that his wife, Mrs. Rogers, has died in her sleep.
(2) Once again, after the death of his wife, Rogers clears the table, and doesn't help but to notice that there are only eight figures left on the table this time!
Jane-
This assignment shows thoughtful and thorough answers. You've hit the major events in each chapter, showing clear understanding of the story line. Good job!
Mrs. M
Assignment #5
Chapter 7
(1) Emily Brent and Vera Claythorne think that Rogers was the one that killed his own wife.
(2) Mr. Lombard and Dr. Armstrong find that the two deaths they have had through the one night they've stayed there, correspond with the Indian poem in each of there rooms.
(3) The motor boat does not show up this first morning, which they figured had to be part of "Mr. U.N. Owen's" plan.
Chapter 8
(1) Blore questions Mr. Lombard about why he has a gun with him.
(2) Mr. Blore, Dr. Armstrong, and Philip Lombard go out searching about the island to find the possible murderer.
Chapter 9
(1) Mr. Blore accuses Dr. Armstrong of being the murderer because since he was a doctor, he could have easily given overdoses of medicine to Mrs. Rogers, or Anthony Marston.
(2) Dr. Armstrong returns from fetching General McCarther or lunch, and says he's found him dead on the mountain.
(3) Once again, the guests find but another china figure missing from the table...this left only seven figures left!
(4) After discussing the previous deaths, the judge concludes that there is certainly no one on the island besides them, so the murderer has to be one of them.
Chapter 10
(1) Emily Brent writes that Beatrice Taylor is the murderer in her diary that night.
(2) After everyone is settled in bed with the doors locked, Mr. Rogers locks the dining room, and pockets the key so that no more Indians could escape, or be easily taken.
Chapter 11
(1) On the second morning, the remaining guests wake up and wonder where Rogers is, and they find him in the shed with an ax in his hand, dead.
(2) Since all of the deaths have oddly corresponded with the poem, and the next line talks about bees, Vera asks hysterically if there are any bees on the island.
Chapter 12
(1) Emily Brent, while making breakfast, dies from a "bee sting".
(2) After Emily Brent's death, Mr. Lombard's revolver and Dr. Armstrong's hypodermic syringe went missing.
Chapter 13
(1) When Vera goes to her room to bathe, she walks through the door and feels wet, clammy seaweed, and screams.
(2) Mr. Justice Wargrave is now seen to be dead, dressed as a judge with Lombard's missing revolver pointing at his head.
Chapter 14
(1) Armstrong goes missing in the middle of the night, and Lombard and Blore go searching for him.
(2) No one can find Armstrong, not even his body, but they do have two clues to come off of: a window pane is smashed in the kitchen, and another Indian figure is missing!
Chapter 15
(1) The remaining guests use the context of the poem to realize that it is very possible that Armstrong is not dead, and that he is lurking around the island.
(2) Blore, who entered the house alone, is found dead on the terrace, and his head is crushed from a marble block.
(3) Vera and Lombard find Dr. Armstrong floating dead on rocks, leaving them to the conclusion that he is not the killer, and that one of them is!
Chapter 16
(1) After Armstrong was found dead, and they know that they are the only two left, Vera shoots Lombard because she thinks he is the murderer.
(2) Now that Vera is relieved and not scared of the house, she goes inside the house expecting Hugo waiting for her, but instead she finds a hanging scene, and realizes that this must be what Hugo wanted...her death, so Vera hangs herself.
Excellent story summaries, Jane. You were quite thorough in your answers!
Mrs. M
October 2, 2010
Assignment #3-Due Wednesday, October 27th
- Add the date at the top of your page.
- Add your answers to the TOP of your page under the date.
- Choose five characters from the story,
- Write two sentences telling what you know about him or her.
- BOLD the character's name and write your sentences about that character right underneath his or her name.
Example:· Very Claythorne
Sentence #1 about Vera Claythorne
Sentence #2 about Vera Claythorne
Vera Claythorne:
Sentence #1
Vera Claythorne killed Cyril Hamilton, because when Cyril was drowning, she deliberately swam slowly until she died, and "couldn't save her on time."
Cyril is a boy!
Sentence #2
Vera Claythorne has had flashbacks of the drowning incident, and seems very guilty.
Mr. Blore:
Sentence #1
Mr. Blore seems to be the only guest who has been on the island before, and now he knows things, that seem like secrets hidden from the others.
Sentence #2
Mr. Blore uses a fake name, which may have had something to do with his case of murder.
Mrs. Rogers:
Sentence #1
When Mrs. Rogers is first introduced to the guests, and walks Vera Claythorne up to her room, she is seen as a pale, ghostly figure who is very queer.
Sentence #2
Mrs. Rogers is held responsible for the death of Jennifer Brady.
Emily Brent:
Sentence #1
Emily Brent was responsible for the death of Beatrice Taylor.
Sentence #2
Emily is also very critical because she wants everybody to live up to her own standards of life.
Mr. Rogers:
Sentence#1
Mr. Rogers was responsible for the death of Jennifer Brady.
Sentence#2
Mr. Rogers is a cook for the guests, and was also the person who set off the record on the gramophone, which were orders from Mr. Owen.
Looks like your group worked well.
Mrs. M
October 21, 2010
Assignment #2
Assignment #2 Due October 22
- Put a line above Assignment #1; assignment #2 will go above assignment #1.
- Read chapter two.
- Choose one of the following: suspense or foreshadowing.
- With your small group, find four examples of suspense OR foreshadowing in chapter two.
- Each member of your group must write on his or her WIKI page the exact wording from the book - that means type the sentences exactly as they are written.
- Then, in a well-written paragraph, explain why these sentences clearly show either suspense or foreshadowing.
- Read chapter three for Monday, October 25.
SUSPENSE(Page 31) "Poem on the Wall"
"The Indian Poem"
The first example of suspense is when Vera Claythorne finds and reads the poem about the deaths of the Indians on Indian Island. Considering that the title of the book is And Then There Were None, we can infer that by the end of the book, something dreadful will happen "and then there will be none". This keeps you suspended for a while because it wants you to keep reading, so you can find out what happens to all of the guests.
(Page 29) "Rogers"
"She looks frightened of her own shadow. Yes, that was it-----frightened! She looked like a women who walked in mortal fear..."
A second suspenseful moment occured when Vera was brought to her room by a women with a ghostly figure. Vera had noticed her pale bloodless skin and strange light eyes that scanned the room. This offers a suspenseful feeling because it makes you shiver and feel that Mrs. Rogers is guilty of something and has to do with all of the queer feelings of the house.
(Page 32) "Drowning Experience"
"The sea...So peaceful to-day--sometimes cruel...The sea that dragged you down into its depths. Drowned...Found drowned...Drowned at sea...Drowned-drowned-drowned"...No, she would not remember...She would not think of it! All that was over..."
I find this passage somewhat suspenseful because it is almost like she is having a flashback or some kind of a memory. This could also be an example of for-shadowing because this could be part of an even that may happen later in the book. But then again, when she has the flashback she stops herself, so this could also show that she has had a bad past. I found this very suspicious, and that is why I felt very suspenseful at the moment.
(Page 28) The Owens' Absence
"Mr Owen--unfortunately delayed--unable to get hear till tomorrow. Instructions--everything they wanted--if they would like to go to their rooms?...dinner would be at 8 o'clock..."
The fourth, and last example of suspense was when the butler was mumbling these words to all of the guests. There were two things that I found suspicious about it. The first being that the butler was mumbling, showing that he did not know exactly what his instructions were, that it could have been a sign of insecurity, and that he was careless. The second thing odd about what he said was that he was saying how the Owens were delayed and that they weren't coming until the next day. This would leave the guests alone in the big house with two odd queer servants. I think that it is also odd how they are not showing up when their guests arrive. This was full of suspense because it made me wonder why everything about the house, the people, and the strange environment of the island was so disturbing to the guests. When I first read these words, I was thinking to myself how uncomfortable I would have felt if I were one of the guests who arrived with no host or hostess, in a very large empty house, with two very odd people of whom they had no identity of except their names.
That would be very uncomfortable; I wouldn't like it either, since I wouldn't know any of the other guests. It takes a while to get to know strangers - and adding the big foreboding mansion makes it even creepier.
Good insights!
Mrs. M
Assignment #1
October 19, 2010
How does a mystery novel differ from a narrative?
There are many differences between novels and narratives. I find that the main difference is that in a novel, the whole story is laid out for you, while in a mystery, the whole story line is not given to you right away. Rather, you have to take guesses and follow the clues in the context. Another difference, is that with a novel, it is very easy for the reader to find and lay out the rising action, climax, and resolution because the text is very straightforward. On the other hand, in a mystery, it is very difficult to plot the story with all of the events, because none of the answers are given directly. While in both novels and mystery books, critical thinking is necessary, the answers might only be revealed in a novel rather than in a mystery, where the reader may have to just figure it out himself/herself. In my opinion, I find mystery books more interesting than novels because I enjoy all of the suspense, and I love using my brain to figure things out!Great! You will enjoy reading this!
How might the title be a clue to the story?
I think that the title of the book could be a clue to the story in many ways. When I first heard the title, my thoughts immediately drifted to the thought of murder. The title is very mysterious, and makes you want to keep the book in your hands! The first way you could enterpret the title is that it's talking about nothing being left, and at the start of the book it talkes about there being ten people traveling to an island. You could infer that by the end of the book, there would be none of them left. Another way in which you could enterpret this title is that they could also be talking about some sort of treasure, considering they were going to an island. My third, and last thought, was that the author could have been also trying to trick the reader into thinking that there were going to be many deaths, just so that the reader would keep reading, only to find a completly different ending. I think that the title is very clever, and if I had never heard of the book before, and had seen it, I probably would have wanted to read it just by seeing the title!
Agatha Christie is heralded as one of the best modern day mystery writers, so you may enjoy reading some of her other novels.
Mrs. M